Transcript 04/14/2009 John-Anthony Cavanagh

[BBTranscriptTeam]

John-Anthony Cavanagh
New York, NY
Doorman in NYC

Topic Tree:
Roots
1939
Burn After Reading
Locked Up
Damn Yankees
Memoirs
Avon Calling
Current TV
Roman Numerals
Cocktails
Standardized Tests
Stick It!
State Your Name
Famous Statues
In the Bag



$100 (In the Bag):
A diaper bag is a functional accessory commonly carried by which of these people?
A. College student B. New mother
C. Professional athlete D. Fiber enthusiast

Spoiler

B. New mother (:07)

$200 (Famous Statues):
Which of these Sesame Street-esque names is a common nickname for Academy Award statues?
A. Oscars B. Grovers
C. Berts D. Ernies

Spoiler

A. Oscars (:07)

$300 (State Your Name):
Which of these U.S. states has the name of a foreign country included within its state name?
A. North Carolina B. New York
C. South Dakota D. New Mexico

Spoiler

D. New Mexico (:09)

$500 (Stick It!):
"Whittle a stick to a sharp point" is one of the first steps in which of these traditional camping activities?
A. Roasting marshmallows B. Cleaning a fish
C. Collecting firewood D. Pitching a tent

Spoiler

John-Anthony answers D and finishes with $0 (Llama)

A. Roasting marshmallows (:06)

John-Anthony left with $0 (llama)

Commercial break

[gsabc]

I guess I was just lazy. I used to look for a stick with a narrow branch already on it. Tough break.

[NellyLunatic1980]

John-Anthony Cavanagh
New York, NY

WE®

Topic Tree:
....
Stick It!
....

Perfect way to phrase this category, given what is about to happen.

$200 (Famous Statues):
Which of these Sesame Street-esque names is a common nickname for Academy Award statues?
A. Oscars B. Grovers
C. Berts D. Ernies

E. Genies! Wait, wrong question. Never mind!

$500 (Stick It!):
"Whittle a stick to a sharp point" is one of the first steps in which of these traditional camping activities?
A. Roasting marshmallows B. Cleaning a fish
C. Collecting firewood D. Pitching a tent

Spoiler

John-Anthony answers D and finishes with $0 (Llama)

A. Roasting marshmallows (:06)

Apparently, John-Anthony has never been camping.

Nihil obstat®

[peacock2121]

Poor guy.

[earendel]

John-Anthony Cavanagh
New York, NY
Doorman in NYC

A WE®.

$500 (Stick It!):
"Whittle a stick to a sharp point" is one of the first steps in which of these traditional camping activities?
A. Roasting marshmallows B. Cleaning a fish
C. Collecting firewood D. Pitching a tent

Spoiler

John-Anthony answers D and finishes with $0 (Llama)

A. Roasting marshmallows (:06)

Hmmm...I guess doormen in NYC don't do a whole lot of camping. But by the same token in my Boy Scout days we didn't use pointed sticks, we used either metal skewers or coat hangers (paint removed, of course). And a pointed stick can be used as a tent stake if need be, so perhaps John-Anthony can argue that this is a flawed question.

[doitneatly]

John-Anthony Cavanagh
New York, NY
Doorman in NYC

A WE®.

And while they didn't mention it, John had an acting background. (not currently, but I specifically recall his story of having to become "John-Anthony Cavanagh" because the Screen Actor's Guild already had a "John Cavanagh" in their ranks...

So I suppose that makes him a WE/WE.

Speaking of which, was I a WE wrt profession? I've never been clear on the WE rules.

[doitneatly]

John-Anthony Cavanagh
New York, NY
Doorman in NYC

A WE®.

$500 (Stick It!):
"Whittle a stick to a sharp point" is one of the first steps in which of these traditional camping activities?
A. Roasting marshmallows B. Cleaning a fish
C. Collecting firewood D. Pitching a tent

Spoiler

John-Anthony answers D and finishes with $0 (Llama)

A. Roasting marshmallows (:06)

Hmmm...I guess doormen in NYC don't do a whole lot of camping. But by the same token in my Boy Scout days we didn't use pointed sticks, we used either metal skewers or coat hangers (paint removed, of course). And a pointed stick can be used as a tent stake if need be, so perhaps John-Anthony can argue that this is a flawed question.

On the one hand:
I would claim that the term whittle, by definition, requires the use of a blade. My own marshmallow-roasting experiences as a yute (which did NOT involve the boy scouts, which may be relevant to this point) never involved a knife. We hunted around to find a small branch that was thin enough to hold a mashmallow, then just used our hands to strip away any unneeded perpendicular branches. (or else kept them around for the ultra-cool multi-marshmallow implement!

But on the other hand:
I could see TPTB arguing that the potential second answer of "Pitching a tent" presumes that you already have a tent at the ready, with no need to make your own tent poles from sticks.

And on the third hand:
If you were having to make your own tent poles, you would definitely be whittling with a knife...

As I sat offstage watching John, I too was thrown off by this question. I do believe I would've recovered and gone with the right answer, but with the pressure of the clock, I can't say for certain.

I hope I'm wrong, as he was a very likable guy, but if John-Anthony did contest this question I fear it didn't go far.
<sigh> That Damn Clock !

[MarleysGh0st]

Speaking of which, was I a WE wrt profession? I've never been clear on the WE rules.

As a computer programmer? No.

What Else? = An actor, singer, comedian, performing artist or someone similarly employed in the entertainment industry. Generally, a WE will have experience appearing in front of a audience, which is what the APs seem to be particularly interested in, but we will also recognize someone behind the camera--a producer, etc.--as a WE. The APs will talk to one of those and feel a connection to someone else in the business, which they'll never do talking to a programmer.

Now, you did mention that you juggle, but you didn't go into detail about that. Do you perform your juggling in public or is that merely for your own enjoyment? Depending on your answer, there might be a whiff of What Else about you.

[macrae1234]

On a $500 question there should be no chance at ambiguity he got jobbed big time

potential second answer of "Pitching a tent" presumes that you already have a tent at the ready

wouldn't roasting marshmallows equally imply you had a fire and marshmallows ready

[MarleysGh0st]

On a $500 question there should be no chance at ambiguity he got jobbed big time

potential second answer of "Pitching a tent" presumes that you already have a tent at the ready

wouldn't roasting marshmallows equally imply you had a fire and marshmallows ready

Yes, that's what I suggested, yesterday.

[doitneatly]

Speaking of which, was I a WE wrt profession? I've never been clear on the WE rules.

As a computer programmer? No.

What Else? = An actor, singer, comedian, performing artist or someone similarly employed in the entertainment industry. Generally, a WE will have experience appearing in front of a audience, which is what the APs seem to be particularly interested in, but we will also recognize someone behind the camera--a producer, etc.--as a WE. The APs will talk to one of those and feel a connection to someone else in the business, which they'll never do talking to a programmer.

Now, you did mention that you juggle, but you didn't go into detail about that. Do you perform your juggling in public or is that merely for your own enjoyment? Depending on your answer, there might be a whiff of What Else about you.

nope no public juggling. I'm clean!

[TheConfessor]

But on the other hand:
I could see TPTB arguing that the potential second answer of "Pitching a tent" presumes that you already have a tent at the ready, with no need to make your own tent poles from sticks.

And on the third hand:
If you were having to make your own tent poles, you would definitely be whittling with a knife...

In my mind, and from my ancient experience, the need to whittle a stick to pitch a tent has nothing to do with the tent poles. I assume you already have the poles. But it would be very common to have to make your own tent stakes, since they often get damaged when they are hammered into the ground. I recall doing that many times, more often with a hatchet than with a knife.

I join the majority here who have never whittled a stick to roast marshmallows. I always just found a stick that was already the right size to hold a marshmallow, or as someone noted above, found a stick with a fork at the end so it could hold two marshmallows.

I think it was a bad question. I probably would have guessed the "correct" answer if I had been in the hot seat, but I'm not sure. If you need to whittle your own tent stakes, that usually requires more than one stick, so that works against the contestant's answer.

[MarleysGh0st]

If you need to whittle your own tent stakes, that usually requires more than one stick, so that works against the contestant's answer.

Wow! You can whittle two stakes at once?

[TheCalvinator24]

I keep going back and forth in my mind as to whether he should get another shot. I think the "correct" answer is obvious, but I think the writer didn't consider the tricky nature of the tent distractor.

[ulysses5019]

I keep going back and forth in my mind as to whether he should get another shot. I think the "correct" answer is obvious, but I think the writer didn't consider the tricky nature of the tent distractor.

I don't think he considered the tricky nature of the nit-pickers on this bored. FWIW, I have whittled points on the end of found branches.

[MarleysGh0st]

I keep going back and forth in my mind as to whether he should get another shot. I think the "correct" answer is obvious, but I think the writer didn't consider the tricky nature of the tent distractor.

I don't think he considered the tricky nature of the nit-pickers on this bored. FWIW, I have whittled points on the end of found branches.

Yes, we can nitpick with the best of them, but first tier questions ought to be clear cut. Especially with The Damned Clock, which ensures that there's no time to weigh which choice might be "more correct". He saw an answer that made some sense and he went for it.

[sunflower]

I keep going back and forth in my mind as to whether he should get another shot. I think the "correct" answer is obvious, but I think the writer didn't consider the tricky nature of the tent distractor.

I don't think he considered the tricky nature of the nit-pickers on this bored. FWIW, I have whittled points on the end of found branches.

I have as well, my grandfather used to say you didn't want to use a dirty stick, so you whittled the stick down to the bare wood as a cleaner surface than the bark or dirty top layer. Even if I picked an already pointy stick, sufficient to stick a marshmallow on, I would whittle it.

Tent stakes, on the other hand, cannot be made from whittled sticks in my opinion. You'd need something pretty significant to hold up a tent and a stick certainly wouldn't do it. I think that he has zero cause for appeal of this question.

[macrae1234]

Yes, we can nitpick with the best of them, but first tier questions ought to be clear cut. Especially with The Damned Clock, which ensures that there's no time to weigh which choice might be "more correct". He saw an answer that made some sense and he went for it.

I agree completely at that level with a clock that is a b*tch of a distractor

[MarleysGh0st]

Tent stakes, on the other hand, cannot be made from whittled sticks in my opinion. You'd need something pretty significant to hold up a tent and a stick certainly wouldn't do it. I think that he has zero cause for appeal of this question.

By your definition, what is the maximum diameter of a stick?

[sunflower]

Tent stakes, on the other hand, cannot be made from whittled sticks in my opinion. You'd need something pretty significant to hold up a tent and a stick certainly wouldn't do it. I think that he has zero cause for appeal of this question.

By your definition, what is the maximum diameter of a stick?

In my mind I don't necessarily have a maximum diameter, but think of it as something I could break in half with my hands. And I mean that as an innocent 8 year old, not as a bat wielding hooligan!

I'm sure that someone will post some definition that debunks my view...but to me, a stick is a little more than a twig but not really substantial.

[tanstaafl2]

And on the third hand:
If you were having to make your own tent poles, you would definitely be whittling with a knife...

I thought this was a poor question at best but don't know if he will have any success in fighting it. Perhaps he will and I don't think it would be all that unreasonable if he did get another shot.

On a tangent, I have made many a tent peg, or pegs for tying off lines on cooking flys as needed without doing any whittling. Indeed if it was a fairly substantial peg it would be easier to use a hatchet to create the point which could then also be used to drive the peg in. Three quick chops and you had enough of a point to create a stake!

Tent poles, if indeed one was going to that extreme also would likely be better served being cut down with an axe or hatchet. Not usually going to find thin branches long enough and flexible enough to match the fiberglass poles of modern tents. Instead you would be doing a minor construction project complete with braces and lashing if you had to build your own shelter.

Then again I was a Beagle Scout. Probably don't let you do that (or whittle for that matter) these days due to the potential risk for injury. A mystery how we survived our youth wielding knives and hatchets, building our own fires, inadvertently flavoring the stew with a little dirt and ash, driving to the camp site in a van with no seat belts usually in a blue haze of second hand smoke (usually from a pipe from one particular Scoutmaster!).

It is indeed a miracle I am still alive...

<sigh> That Damn Clock !

Indeed.

[Appa23]

But on the other hand:
I could see TPTB arguing that the potential second answer of "Pitching a tent" presumes that you already have a tent at the ready, with no need to make your own tent poles from sticks.

And on the third hand:
If you were having to make your own tent poles, you would definitely be whittling with a knife...

In my mind, and from my ancient experience, the need to whittle a stick to pitch a tent has nothing to do with the tent poles. I assume you already have the poles. But it would be very common to have to make your own tent stakes, since they often get damaged when they are hammered into the ground. I recall doing that many times, more often with a hatchet than with a knife.

I join the majority here who have never whittled a stick to roast marshmallows. I always just found a stick that was already the right size to hold a marshmallow, or as someone noted above, found a stick with a fork at the end so it could hold two marshmallows.

I think it was a bad question. I probably would have guessed the "correct" answer if I had been in the hot seat, but I'm not sure. If you need to whittle your own tent stakes, that usually requires more than one stick, so that works against the contestant's answer.

If we really are going to such ridiculous lengths to discuss this question, wouldn't one want to use something more substantial than a stick for a tent stake?

I mean, a stick would snap pretty easily, even if it was whittled to a point.

I would be looking for a fallen branch, at least a couple inches in diameter, if I needed to create tent stakes.

[NellyLunatic1980]

But on the other hand:
I could see TPTB arguing that the potential second answer of "Pitching a tent" presumes that you already have a tent at the ready, with no need to make your own tent poles from sticks.

And on the third hand:
If you were having to make your own tent poles, you would definitely be whittling with a knife...

In my mind, and from my ancient experience, the need to whittle a stick to pitch a tent has nothing to do with the tent poles. I assume you already have the poles. But it would be very common to have to make your own tent stakes, since they often get damaged when they are hammered into the ground. I recall doing that many times, more often with a hatchet than with a knife.

I join the majority here who have never whittled a stick to roast marshmallows. I always just found a stick that was already the right size to hold a marshmallow, or as someone noted above, found a stick with a fork at the end so it could hold two marshmallows.

I think it was a bad question. I probably would have guessed the "correct" answer if I had been in the hot seat, but I'm not sure. If you need to whittle your own tent stakes, that usually requires more than one stick, so that works against the contestant's answer.

If we really are going to such ridiculous lengths to discuss this question, wouldn't one want to use something more substantial than a stick for a tent stake -- such as a branch?

I mean, a stick would snap pretty easily, even if it was whittled to a point.

It all depends on how one defines "stick", I guess. You know, just like we can debate the definition of "is".